1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to communications between mobile units and more particularly to dispatch communications between such units.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today's marketplace, consumers have the option of purchasing mobile units that permit duplex communications (interconnect), simplex communications (dispatch) or even a combination of the two. When conducting a duplex-based call, two callers may freely interrupt one another because a separate channel is assigned to each caller. During a dispatch call, however, a single communications channel is reserved for the conversation, which means that a single caller is assigned the channel as he or she is talking, or at least as long as the single caller has activated the mechanism for accessing the channel (e.g., a push-to-talk button). During this time, the non-speaking caller must wait to talk until the speaking caller releases the channel. As a result, it may take a significant amount of time before the caller who does not have control of the channel is permitted to speak or otherwise relay information to the caller who has control over the channel.
In prior art dispatch systems, an abort feature has been implemented into some mobile units to help solve the problem. Specifically, a caller who does not have control over the channel can press an abort button to give that caller a chance to speak. Unfortunately, the call is terminated when this abort feature is activated, and a new call must be set up to permit the parties to reinitiate their conversation. Aborting a call in this manner may be considered rude, and it may be difficult to reestablish the call if resources are limited. It also takes additional time to set up the call.